Goal Setting

Happy
December! I hope that this is a joyous
time for you all. Over the past few
weeks, I have been knee-deep in setting goals for next year. It can be difficult
to remain positive while setting goals. As a business owner, you must strive to
create a game plan while knowing to “expect the unexpected.” This month, I want
to touch on three actions that helped me stay focused on setting goals: (1) anticipate
the unexpected; (2) make decisions after weighing all options, and (3) move
forward (don’t dwell on the past).

When
setting goals, you must take time to consider what might go wrong in order to
have flexible goals in place. People pass away, the market crashes, oil prices
continue to plummet, home prices go down, and employees resign. All of these things can affect your company’s
performance. Don’t set goals that cannot
work around the unexpected twists and turns that will arise throughout the year.

On
the other hand, people who face a lot of difficult decisions at once will often
avoid making a decision at all. I call this the analysis paralysis
phase. Poor decision-makers often delay their response or miss out on
opportunities altogether when faced with a lot of options. Moving forward in
those moments takes courage. Weigh all your options, make a decision and then
move forward.

Some
people make poor decisions or no decisions at all because they use the same
data and processes they have always used.
They get comfortable with approaches that worked in the past and do not
feel the need to seek out better ones. While too much change is never good for
any organization, people and companies must look at current processes and
evaluate them constantly. This task works best when it involves the
collaboration of all who have invested interest in the company’s success.